


Black Papillon

by PrincessAmericaChavez



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ALL OF IT, Adrinette, Akumatized Ladybug, Akumatized Marinette, Angst, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt, LadyNoir - Freeform, Reveal, akumized marinette, eventually, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-28 01:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6308017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAmericaChavez/pseuds/PrincessAmericaChavez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette has been akumized, Ladybug is nowhere to be found and it's up to Chat Noir to fix it.</p><p> </p><p>"Ah, Marinette, you poor Bad Luck Charm," a calming voice murmured inside her head, it seemed oddly soothing compared to the pain in her chest. "It's time you show them what real bad luck is. Show them what a walking disaster truly looks like, and they will learn to fear you. They won't hurt you anymore. And then you can have Adrien all for yourself."</p><p>"Yes," it made sense. In a dark, twisted way... and she liked it. She smiled as the dark cloud covered her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette had never come close to imagine what it would feel like, could never understand what kind of darkness inside your chest could take you to embrace someone as terrible as Hawkmoth. A horrible part of her maybe even felt superior, like it was something that could never happen to her. She was Ladybug, after all, a miraculous holder. She was stronger than him. 
> 
> Except, she wasn't right now. Right now, she was only Marinette, sad and furious and humiliated.

Adrien hadn't been paying attention. He was too tired from the last akuma attack to pay attention to Chloe's daily drama.

When he first arrived to the school, he'd been shocked by Chloe's mean comments. He'd been his best and only friend for so long, he had never imagined her being any less than nice to everyone else. Now, though, over a year later, he tried to ignore her as much as possible. Most people knew how to handle Chloe, or simply stay out of her way, and for some reason whenever he got involved it all ended up escalating. 

Today's chosen victim had been Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien didn't understand Chloe's obsession with messing with the shy quiet girl that sat behind him, but he knew Marinette could take care of herself. She'd run for class president when no one else'd dared, she'd been incredibly brave when an akumized classmate tried to take her on a date and she'd scared  _the hell_ out of him when he first arrived. She'd be fine. Or so he thought. 

He didn't hear the snide remark, but she heard Alya's shocked gasp as Marinette jumped to her feet. He glanced over his shoulder, just in time for his eyes to meet the girl's. Tears welled in her blue eyes, her face upset and red. She momentarily looked terrified of him. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. _Anything. Say anything._ A second later, Marinette'd ran out of the classroom, covering her face. Alya followed her. 

His heart was beating loudly in his chest, the whole classroom so quiet he was sure he could hear Plagg snoring inside his bag. A familiar instinct to help came over him. He wanted to run after her, make sure she was alright. 

He didn't. 

_He should have._

"Some people are  _so_ sensitive," Chloe laughed, rolling her eyes. 

The only thing Adrian  _was_ able to do was glare at her, which was enough to make her be quiet, but definitely not enough for him. God, he wished he could be Chat Noir all the time, brave enough to stand up to people like that. He wasn't, though. He was Adrien Agreste and he was afraid of losing a life-long friendship for sticking his nose in other people's business. What  _could_ he have done about it, anyway?  _Sorry, Marinette._

* * *

Marinette had never come close to imagine what it would feel like, could never understand what kind of darkness inside your chest could take you to embrace someone as terrible as Hawkmoth. A horrible part of her maybe even felt superior, like it was something that could never happen to her. She was Ladybug, after all, a miraculous holder. She was stronger than him. 

Except, she wasn't right now. Right now, she was only Marinette, sad and furious and  _humiliated._ She didn't see the dark butterfly attaching itself to her handbag. All she could feel was the anger growing,  _hatred_ against Chloe and everything she represented. How could someone be so mean, so cruel, so horrible? The words her classmate had said resonated in her head, louder and darker. All she'd done was trip with her bag. 

_Watch where you are going you stupid klutz! You might be used to breaking your cheap stuff, but my things have more value than probably your whole house. We all know you are a walking disaster, a time-bomb waiting to happen. You keep ruining everything with your bad luck! Maybe we would all be safer if you weren't around. And that way you would save us from the pathetic sight that's you trying to talk to certain-someone every day._

And then, the gasp, because everyone knew. Was she so obvious? Was she so pathetic? And then  _Adrien_ had turned around, and her gut had twisted into a knot. Her darkened thoughts twisted the scene around. She could hear them laughing at her. She could hear  _him_ laughing. 

"Ah, Marinette, you poor Bad Luck Charm," a calming voice murmured inside her head, it seemed oddly soothing compared to the pain in her chest. "It's time you show them what real bad luck is. Show them what a walking disaster truly looks like, and they will learn to fear you. They won't hurt you anymore. And then you can have Adrien all for yourself."

"Yes," it made sense. In a dark, twisted way... and she _liked_ it. She smiled as the dark cloud covered her.

"All I ask in return is that you deliver the Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculous to me," the voice continued and Marinette was sold on the idea immediately. A smirk appeared on her face. 

" _Gladly_."

 

* * *

The class had been unusually quiet after the incident. Adrien couldn't stop glancing over his shoulder at the two empty sits and back at the door, hoping the two girls would walk in. They didn't. Instead, a few minutes later, he heard Alya scream. 

The whole class jumped to their feet, and, used to this kind of strange occurrence by now, the teacher didn't stop them from running out the door. Adrien all but jumped over his desk to reach the scene first. Alya was laying on the floor, several fallen lockers blocking the entrance. She looked scared. 

"Alya, what happened?" Nino asked, pushing Adrien out of the way to get to her and help her up. 

"I- I was walking in looking for Marinette when the lockers just  _fell._ They almost crush me."

"What about Marinette?" Nino frowned. 

A blood curling laugh came from inside the room. "You got lucky this time, Alya. I can assure you, it won't happen again."

A dark figure jumped gracefully, landing on top of the lockers, crouched like a cat. She was cladded in dark leather like clothes, a pair of black ears on top of her hair, a tail behind her and sharp claws on her gloves. 

 _I really need to trademark that look,_ a part of Adrien thought to himself. The rest of him, though, was busy identifying the girl. Despite the costume, one look was enough to know what'd happened. 

"Marinette," he breathed out, looking at the usually sweet girl. The smile she sent his way in return wasn't sweet, though, it was sharp and playful, in a disturbing way.

"Marinette is not home now," she purred. "I'm Bad Luck Charm, and you are looking _terribly_ unlucky today."

Her hand came up to the wall, digging her nails into it. A big crack appeared and traveled up to the ceiling. Adrien followed it and understood what was going on just in time to push Nino and Alya out of the way of the falling lamp. 

"Everyone get out of here! Run!" He urged the rest of his classmates, that didn't seem to need much encouraging. He made sure Nino and Alya got safely down the stairs while Bad Luck jumped down to the courtyard. She landed gracefully in the middle and pointed her hand at the main doors right before the students could reach them. 

"It's locked!" Chloe screamed. Kim and Ivan tried uselessly to force them open. 

Adrien sneaked quickly into the bathroom. 

"Uh, kid," the black cat started as soon as he was let out, "there's something that you should maybe-"

"No time! Plagg, transform me!"

The kwami complained, but Adrien was used to it already, and he had no time to lose. Hopefully Ladybug would get here soon. He was unlucky enough on his own, he'd rather not have to face a bad luck akuma alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol this was gonna be short and turned into a multichapter because I'm weak. 
> 
> Also, the irony of Adrien immediately recognizing Marinette is not lost on me. This boy, tbh. 
> 
> This ride won't be too long, a few chapters only, but I hope you enjoy the angst!


	2. Walking Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Where's Ladybug?" Alya asked him, worried eyes on her best friend. 
> 
> "She'll be here soon," he said, sending Alya her way towards the library. "I hope," he added under his breath.

As soon as he was transformed, Adrien ran out to the courtyard. The first thing he has in mind was doing crowd control, making sure his classmates and teachers are safe until Ladybug got there. 

"Hey, Bad Luck!" He called loudly, trying to take her attention away from the other students. The girl turned around, sharp smile still in place. Adrien decide he didn't like that expression on Marinette's face. It didn't feel natural. 

"Ah, the kitty's come out to play," she laughed. "Are you here for a taste of your own medicine?"

"I've never liked medicine too much," he said, twirling his staff on one hand. To his surprise, Bad Luck pulled an identical one. Chat made a face. "I really need to trade mark my image don't I?"

"Good luck with that!"

Chat ran towards her, staff ready to deliver a hit. Bad Luck didn't bother moving, she just snapped her fingers. Chat  _tripped._ His reflexes where always better as Chat Noir, his speed and stamina more than any human —and yet, he tripped with apparently thin air. 

He fell hard, slid across the floor until he landed at her feet. She bent down down look at him, mock concern on her face. 

"What's the matter, kitty? Not your lucky day?"

"Depends on when you're standing!" He says, throwing a kick to her ankles. Bad Luck falls on her back as Chat gets back up. He tries to hit her with his staff again, get her to  _stay_ down, but she easily blocked it with her own.  _Dammit._ He kept applying pressure to keep her there as he looked back at his classmates. He smiled, keeping up the cheerful mood as usual. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm very sorry but the show's over. Please go back upstairs and stay away from anything that might fall apart."

Alya, while filming, led the way. They all ran to the second floor, to the corridor that went around the courtyard —and  _stayed_ there. 

"Didn't I say show was-  _hng!"_

Something round and hard hit him in the face and threw him flying to the opposite side of the courtyard. He always figured getting hit with Ladybug's yoyo would hurt. He was right. Except it  _wasn't_ Ladybugs. 

"Both things?!" He whined. "That's not fair!"

"Oh, silly cat, life's not fair," Bad Luck laughed. "Ask them, if you don't believe me." She hit the ground with her staff. A new crack appeared, went all the way to the wall and up... to the hallway. The floor started crumbling down. The students screamed and held on to the railway. Bad Luck gave him a cheeky look. "Well? Do your job."

Adrian had to avoid swearing as he ran towards the other kids. He arrived just in time to catch Chloe. 

"Ugh, don't touch me!" 

"Okay!" He let go of her and hurried to grab Nino. In the mean time, Bad Luck was making her way to the door. Oh, that couldn't be good. If she was dangerous here, he didn't want to imagine her outside in the city. Chat Noir's staff flew across the air, expanded right before the doors, blocking her way. "Sorry, Baddy, I'll be with you in a minute!"

He caught Alya next, just as Bad Luck turned around, glaring furiously. 

"Where's Ladybug?" Alya asked him, worried eyes on her best friend. 

"She'll be here soon," he said, sending Alya her way towards the library. " _I hope_ ," he added under his breath.

* * *

 "What are you waiting for?!" The voice she'd heard before repeated in her head. It wasn't soothing anymore, it was angry and urgent. It put Mairnette on edge. "Stop playing around and get me his miraculous. And Ladybug's-"

"I'll take care of that one later," she assured him, calmly. For some reason, she didn't  _feel_ like letting him know she already  _had_ Ladybug's miraculous. Something  _kept_ her from sharing. 

She had to make a plan, though. A fast one. Chat Noir was good —she knew that already, and she felt an odd pride about it deep inside— but she was tired of dancing around and fighting. There was a world of destruction out there, just waiting for her. For now, though, she would have to make do with the school's inside. She knew Chat was trying to block her way towards the library, where the other students were. That worked great for her last time, a distraction. Chat was used to play the distraction, not  _being_ distracted. 

"Playing Cat and Mouse is fun," she smiled teasingly, "but there are so many other mice to play with, Chat Noir. I wouldn't wanna be unfair to them too."

Using the staff like an olympic athlete she jumped over him and made a run for the library door. 

"No, wait!" He tried to catch up with her. "Marinette!"

Ah, that dumb name again. She laughed. If he had any idea who he was  _really_ talking to. Now, that could be a fun revelation. For later. First, she would satisfy her own curiosity. It'd been in the back of her head for so long, she'd held back out of respect for their friendship. Right now, though, she didn't feel like holding back anymore. 

The doors slammed closed behind him. Locked again.

"Oops!"

Bad Luck smiled and waited. He'd want to get in, he'd know he  _had_ to in order to save the others. He'd need his Cataclysm. After that, it was a matter of  _minutes._

Something yellow and annoying caught her eye. Marinette's head turned abruptly to her right, where Chloe was standing, petrified. She  _liked_ the fear on her face. Who was pathetic now?

"You and I," she nearly meowed. "We have pending business. As soon as I'm done with this alley cat." Her fingertips flashed with purple light and Chloe  _screamed. "Ha!_ "

The door crumbled to pieces and Chat barged in, staff back on his hand. He didn't look happy, even as he smile and leaned on his weapon casually. She knew him better than that.

"Now, now. No need to get catty."

"Is that really the best you could come up with?" She laughed. 

Chat blinked. Could something have clicked? No. He was so slow some times. 

"Oh, I'll work on a better one," he said dryly. His ring beeped. 

"Well, you have five minutes," she snorted, walking backwards between two bookshelves. Her eyes locked on his. "Tick-tock."

"I'll need less than that," he muttered, rushing frontwards. 

"Always leaping before you think, kitty," she laughed, extending both arms to bush the shelves with her fingers. They crumbled in, falling on him. Chat had nowhere to run as the books and wood fell on him. A few seconds later, his head popped from underneath them. He seemed otherwise trapped. She smiled, leaning closer, taking her time. "Ah, there you are!" She leaned in closer, booped his nose. Chat didn't seem to like t. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Nah," his face changed drastically into a victorious grin she'd seen a million times, "cat's got something a lot more interesting."

She looked down quickly. Her bag was gone. He was holding it with a paw that he'd somehow managed to pull out of the book mountain. 

"You-!"

"Looks like my luck is changing," he grinned as he pressed the bag tightly. A small scared yelp could be heard inside.

_Tikki._

Even through the akuma, Marinette could feel a pang of fear that her kwami was hurt. The bag wasn't completely crushed, though. The lock simply cracked, and the symbol seemed to be enough. The black butterfly came out, flied between them. 

Chat struggled to set himself free from the books crushing him, but by the time he was out, the dark spirit had disappeared through a window. 

* * *

"What happened?" Marinette asked, looking up at Chat Noir, on her knees next to a pile of books. 

It was the question they all asked when they came back. No one ever remembered the akuma moments, they just moved on with their lives. This didn't seem to be the case with Marinette. There had been no Lucky Charm, no Miraculous Ladybug to fix the disaster. When she opened her eyes, she was met by the destruction she had caused. Scared looking students, a wrecked library, and the patio outside where half the second floor had fallen to pieces. 

"Oh, no," she covered her mouth, eyes opened wide. "No, no, no, no, no." She shook her head, eyes prickling with tears and Adrien's heart twisted painfully. She looked so upset. 

"Hey," Chat Noir said softly, crouching next to her, "it's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"I couldn't- I should've-" Marinette shook her head. He didn't get it. He didn't understand. It was her. Her friend. And she'd almost hurt him. "Did- Did I-?  _Chat._ "

He put a hand over her shoulder and she immediately leaned in against his shoulder, letting out a sob. Chat froze for a second, before hugging her back. No one but Ladybug had ever hugged him like this, for real. Even his dad kept some distance the rare times he showed some affection. This was different and intimate —much more than he would expect from the shy girl he'd spoken to twice before— and heart breaking. 

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay. It's over. It wasn't your fault."

"What did I tell you?" He clearly heard Chloe's remark to Sabrina. "Walking disaster."

He was about to snap at her —in a rather ungentleman-y way— when his ring beeped. 

"Go," she sniffed, pulling way. "You have to go."

She was right. It didn't feel right, but he knew he had to. Luckily, Alya was already coming to her friend's aid. She hugged her tightly from behind, resting her cheek on her shoulder. He heard Alya's reassuring words as he ran off to the nearest bathroom.

* * *

 

By the time Adrien ran back into the library, Marinette had gone home.

 _My Lady, where are you?_  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters the same day? Yes! I have no chill! 
> 
> Poor Marinette, but she knows too much about akuma to let go of it as easily as the others. 
> 
> In case anyone was freaking out, Tikki is totally fine inside the broken bag, probably just upset over Mari's distress.


	3. Time Bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He couldn't stop thinking about Marinette. As soon as the class was over, he turned around, eyes scanning the empty sit and landing on Alya, who was looking at her phone with a slight frown. Never a good sign. 
> 
> "Hey, Alya," he did his best to sound casual, "any word about Marinette?"
> 
> The redhead jumped slightly, looking up at him. He recognized a dash of curiosity in her eyes, right before her face turned sad. She shook her head. 
> 
> "No word from her since yesterday."

"It wasn't your fault, Marinette," Tikki insisted, kind eyes locked on her. 

Marinette was tired of that look. Alya had it, her parents had it, every single person who had seen the disastrous attack had it.  _Oh, poor Marinette._ She was tired of it. She wasn't a victim here, she was a failure. She was supposed to  _stop_ the akumas.

"You never blame others when they get akumatized," Tikki insisted, rubbing herself against her cheek. Marinette leaned into her soft touch despite herself. 

"Yes, but other people are not supposed to stop the akumas. It's my job, Tikki. It's what I meant to do, and I was weak and stupid. All those thoughts in my head," she covered her head with her hands, trying to block the memory. She didn't remember the attack, but she remembered the second before it. There had been so much anger inside her. "It's all my fault."

Marinette took in a deep breath and made herself stood up, determination in every fiber of her body. 

"This is my fault, and I'm going to fix it. Tikki, spots on!"

She thought she could hear a soft sigh right before her kwami transformed her but she ignored it. Paris needed her, and  _she_ needed to find a way to leave this all behind. 

* * *

 

"My Lady," Chat Noir's voice announced his arrival to the rooftop Ladybug was surveying. She didn't turn around to look at him, her heart twisting. What would he think of her if he knew? "I missed you today," he went on, catching up to her side, looking at her carefully. "Where were you?"

"I'm sorry, Chat," she said softly, making herself glance at him. She had to keep the confident and positive charade up. He couldn't know. "I got held up by something, by the time I could get to the school, the akuma'd fled."

"Yeah, I noticed," he pursed his lips. "Are you alright?"

Ladybug froze. He couldn't  _know_ , could he? No. 

"Of course," she nodded, glancing back at the city, "I just want to catch this akuma before it can hurt anyone else. It- It didn't hurt you, did it?" She side glanced at him. 

There was a sharp pain in her heart, so real that she wondered if that was how being stabbed felt like. She had been so close to hurting Chat for real. She wouldn't be able to know if it wasn't for Alya's Ladyblog. She'd asked Marinette for permission before posting it, and she had encouraged her too, if only to get a good look at it. To know what had happened. She regretted it the moment she clicked play. She'd seen the destruction, the anger in Chat's face and the fear in her friend's eyes. She'd almost hurt the people she loved the most in the world. Chat, her chat, who had put himself in danger to save her time and time again, and she had almost taken his miraculous away from him. She'd almost  _helped_ Hawkmoth. 

"Ah, my lady worries about me?" Chat grinned widely, back to his playful self. It pulled her out of her thoughts. "No need to worry, I've got all nine of my lives intact."

She managed to smile, more out of relief than amusement. Her eyes turned hard next.

 "Good, then let's get down to business."

* * *

 

The night looking for the akuma had been fruitless, long and exhausting. Ladybug had been determined to find it, restless in her search until ungodly hours. Chat hadn't been able to bring himself to leave his lady alone in her search —he'd seen first hand how much damage the akuma could do, and the idea of her fighting it on her own made his heart twist. Chat Noir had no trouble keeping up with her until the first lights of dawn, but it as Adrien Agreste who payed for it the next morning, sleeping through his alarm. 

"Mister Agreste," the teacher gritted dryly as he barged in, "how nice for you to join us. Take a sit."

Adrien shuffled into his sit, eyeing the empty sit behind him. Marinette hadn't come to class. A new worry was added to the layer of things weighing him down. He remembered the way Marinette's face had crumbled to pieces, the way she'd hold on to him and cried like he was her fondest friend in the world. His stomach back flipped. 

He remembered the first akuma they'd fought. Stoneheart. Just like Bad Luck Charm, Ladybug hadn't been able to purify the spirit, and things had quickly escalated despite their best efforts to keep Ivan happy and positive. It was all it took, bad emotions resurfacing, for the victims to be akumatized again. His brow furrowed. If Marinette was still feeling down and guilty, maybe she'd attract the akuma again. He couldn't let that happen. 

"Hey, dude, you okay?" Nino asked by his side, pulling him out of his thoughts. Seeing the worry in his friend's face, Adrien made sure to relax her features, pushing Chat Noir to the back of his head. 

"Yeah, I just overslept."

"You look like you didn't sleep at all," Nino arched an eyebrow. "You'll need tons of makeup to be photoshoot ready."

Adrien left out a nervous laugh, running his fingers through his messy hair. "I'll be fine. I just stayed up working on something."

"Well, maybe you should get some rest. Seriously, dude, you look like you're about to collapse."

As much as Adrien appreciated Nino's concern —he and Ladybug were probably the only people who ever seemed to worry about him— he shrugged it off and pretended to be focused on his notes. His mind, though, was far away. He couldn't stop thinking about Marinette. As soon as the class was over, he turned around, eyes scanning the empty sit and landing on Alya, who was looking at her phone with a slight frown. Never a good sign. 

"Hey, Alya," he did his best to sound casual, "any word about Marinette?"

The redhead jumped slightly, looking up at him. He recognized a dash of curiosity in her eyes, right before her face turned sad. She shook her head. 

"No word from her since yesterday."

"You think she's doing okay?" Nino asked. Adrien was glad to know he wasn't the only one worried about the girl. 

"My girl's strong, I'm sure she'll be fine," Alya said with a smile. Even as she tried to convey her usual confident self, though, there was uncertainty to her voice. "She probably just needed some time to rest, after yesterday..."

"We've all been there," Nino said softly. 

He was right, Adrien thought. Every other akuma victim had had to deal with what they'd done, and they'd all been fine in the end. So would Marinette, right? He'd never seen a reaction like hers, though. 

"You know what, Nino? I think I'm gonna go rest, after all," he said, putting his books back inside his backpack. 

"Good call, dude. I'll let you know if we get homework."

Alya seemed confused by Adrien's sudden change of subject, but was quickly distracted when Nino invited her over to sit by his side. With a well concealed blush, the girl agreed. He smiled at them before walking out the door. 

* * *

 

Marinette was still wearing her pajamas. She's slept through the alarm without so much as flinching, even though most days she could get out of bed as soon as it rang. Apparently, her parents had decided to let her stay home for the day, and she couldn't be more thankful. She wished they wouldn't worry about her, though, but being taken care of felt nice. 

She watched the Ladyblog video three times, stomaching it over and over again. She looked at the scared faces of her classmates, the way she taunted Chat, wincing at every hit she'd gotten in. Poor Chat, he'd had no idea he was facing Ladybug. Part of her was curious as to her akuma looking so similar to her partner's costume. She hoped he hadn't taken it the wrong way. Chat was good, maybe the kindest person she knew, nothing like Bad Luck had been. She ignored Tikki's pleads that she stopped watching. She had to  _know,_ even if it meant horror and humiliation taking over every inch of her body. She didn't realize how dark her thoughts had turn until her mother came into her room, breaking her out of the dark cloud surrounding her senses. 

"Mari," she said with a smile, "there's someone here that wants to see you. That boy from the video games competition."

"Max?" She blinked.

"No, the other one," she smiled. 

"A- A-  _Adrien_? He's- He's  _here?_ "

"He's downstairs," her mother nodded. "Shall I tell him to come up?"

Marinette saw her own face reflected on her screen. Oh god, she was a mess. 

"No, no! I'll be there in five minutes. Just- Just keep him occupied!" She begged, even knowing how embarrassing the effects of that could be. It was better than welcoming the boy of her dreams looking like a mess. 

 

* * *

"She'll be down in a minute, honey," Marinette's mom announced, walking down the stairs. 

Adrien couldn't help a sigh of relief. So she hadn't been akumatized again, yet. That was a good start. 

"Thank you Mrs. Dupain!" He smiled. 

"Would you like some cookies while you wait?"

"Uh," his stomach growled, "yes, sure. Thank you very much."

On the floor above him, he heard steps rushing around. It sounded quite chaotic. What was Marinette getting up to up there? While he waited, he paced around the living room, looking at the pictures decorating the walls. In most of them, all three family members smiled happily at the camera, often hugging each other, so close that one might think they were all the same being. He felt a pang of jealousy. How amazing it must be, having a family like that. With such loving parents, it wasn't a wonder that Marinette was so sweet and wonderful to everyone. Then again, what did that make  _him_?

The running upstairs stopped abruptly, followed by a small yelp and a loud thud.

Adrien's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Had that been- He rushed up the stairs without thinking much, aside from cursing himself for showing up here as Adrien Agreste rather than Chat Noir. He'd figure the last thing Marinette needed was a reminder of the day before, that she could very much use a friend instead (he hoped they were friends). Now, though, Chat would probably be needed. 

"Marinette?!" He called, opening the door abruptly.

The girl still looked like herself, on the floor. She was just getting back up on her feet when she saw him, and she stuttered his name like he was a ghost. Her face turned as red as Ladybug's suit. He caught himself thinking the color fitted her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice a lot softer, embarrassed by the way he'd barged in. He felt his own face growing hotter. "I heard-"

"Oh, I- I- I just tripped," she mumbled, pulling her hair out of her face. "It wasn't- I mean- It happens. To me. I mean, you know. Me. You know me, of course you know me. I mean, you know I am... a klutz," compared to her frantic mumbling, that last word fell out of her lips so quiet and sad it made his heart hurt. She wasn't okay. 

"Hey, it's fine," he assured her, pushing himself up until he was sitting on the floor of her room, his feet comfortably dangling over the stairs. "You should see how often  _I_ end up on the floor?"

"Y- You?" Marinette blinked. "You're great at sports. And like, fencing and- well, I don't know. I've never seen you practice, but I heard. I mean- You are- You are great."

Adrien laughed. He guessed the girl was allowed to think that, since she'd never seen him get his ass handed over as Chat Noir. The amount of times Ladybug had to get him out of trouble highly out weighted his accomplishments, as far as he was concerned. Marinette still looked tense, like his sole presence made her uncomfortable. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea. 

"S-So... what are you doing here?" Marinette asked, with a smile so big in her face it couldn't be comfortable, or real. 

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," he said honestly, without thinking. Was that weird? Would she find it suspicious?

"You- You did?" Her face looked so shocked, he felt bad. Maybe he wasn't in the position to offer comfort after all. 

"Yeah... are you?" He asked, shyly. 

He expected Marinette to lie to him. Instead, she shrugged looking away. It felt more sincere than any spoken answer. Adrien's brow furrowed, pulling his feet up from the opening on the floor. As soon as she saw his intention to stand up, she offered her hand to help him. He took it without hesitation. Marinette pulled him up with barely any effort. She was definitely stronger than she looked. He ended up standing barely inches away from her. His mind betrayed him, bringing back the memory of that horror movie they'd been filming months ago, when they'd been standing very much like this. When they nearly- 

 _Focus, idiot,_ his inner voice was starting to sound a lot like Plagg, which was rather concerning.  

Marinette was the one to react first, though, standing back and clearing her throat. He shook his head, hoping to clear his thoughts. "So," he started quickly, "I got today's work from school, if you wanna catch up together. Or..." he was thinking on his toes, the idea bright in his head before he even knew how it'd gotten there, "or we could play video games?"

The was Marinette's face lit up was absolutely worth it. He'd hit the jackpot. Marinette loved video games, and she was great at them. That had to be a great way to keep her happy and distracted. 

* * *

 

Time passed quickly while playing with Marinette. The more they played, the more relaxed she seemed. One thing about Marinette that he had noticed a couple times before was how  _competitive_ she was. She seemed to like fighting as much as she liked wining, all shyness and stuttering disappeared, leaving behind a confident girl that was kicking his ass and smiling so widely about it it seemed to brighten the whole room.

"Ha!" She smiled brightly, throwing her arms up in the air as she beat him the fifth time in a row. 

"You are too good at this," he complained, inwardly amused by her cheerfulness. 

"You're getting better," she quickly humbled herself. "Have you been practicing?"

"Oh, I think it's just my lucky charm," Adrien smiled, pulling out his phone to show Marinette the gift she had given him a while ago. She gapped, looking at it as if she couldn't believe it. "I tried wearing it around my wrist, but apparently I wasn't allowed to during photoshoots."

"As if you needed help looking great," Marinette snorted, rolling her eyes. Adrien  _stares._ It's like the words came out of her mouth without her meaning them to. It was confident and  _flirty_ and Adrien was so unused to those coming from  _Marinette_ that he was completely at a loss on how to react. He just  _blushed,_ as if he hadn't been living off his looks for a long time. Marinette, on the other hand, is quick to feel the following silence. "I- I- I- I mean! You- You are a model! I mean, you are look  _great!_ I mean you  _are_ great! I mean! At- At what you do! You are a great model! I-"

Her face was so red again. Adrien decided that was, indeed, a great color on her. 

"I'm gonna go get more cookies!" She declared abruptly, grabbing the plate and storming off. 

Adrien laughed to himself as she disappeared. That'd been...  _cute._

While she was gone, Adrien checked the phone in his hand. He had a push notification... from the Ladyblog. Glancing over his shoulder, he opened it quickly. 

_We don't know what is happening, but we keep getting multiple reports of disasters happening all around Paris. Car crashes, unpredictable weather and structures collapsing without apparent reason-_

Oh, no. The akuma was multiplying. Adrien jumped to his feet, rushed downstairs. He didn't see Marinette until their bodies had crashed with each other. The plate of cookies crashed on the floor loudly. The only reason Marinette didn't was Adrien catching her with a feline agility. A moment later, she was in his arms, looking shock first, then very  _pink._

"I- Uh, sorry," Adrien said quickly, letting go of her and stepping back. He took a hand to the back of his head awkwardly. "I kinda have to run. My- My dad called."

"Oh," there was palpable disappointment in Marinette's voice. It made him jump.  _No negative emotions._

"I'll be back tomorrow, though!" He assured her quickly, and was surprised to find out he meant it. "I just really gotta do some, uh, something."

"Okay," Marinette sighed. 

Without thinking, Adrien pressed two kisses to her cheeks before rushing off. "Bye, Mari!"

He didn't hear the stifled sound coming out of the girl's throat as he closed the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got way longer than I intended it to, but my shipper heart caved in.


	4. The Ones You Love Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why do you resist me, child? I am merely offering you a way to mend your mistakes, to save everyone you love the most. I am offering you control over the destruction, over the anger and the bad luck. You can stop all the pain. All you have to do is give me the miraculous, yours and Chat Noir, and then no one else will ever be in danger again. Isn't that what you want?

"My Lady," Chat Noir greeted her when she showed up at one of the disaster scenes. She smiled, feeling slightly guilty that he was still treating her the same despite how close she'd been to hurting him before. She pushed the thought aside, no time for that. 

"What do we have here, Chat?" She tried to focus ahead, a frown on her features. "Any sign of the akuma?"

"No," he murmured, pursing his lips, "but judging by the paw-ful disaster, it can't be too far away. Got a plan, My Lady?"

Ladybug looked at the destruction before her. A big hole had appeared in the middle of the street. Several cars were balancing near the edge, with the terrified drivers inside trying not to move. They'd managed to end up there due to cheer luck, and she doubted it would last. 

"Damage control first," she decided quickly. "We need to get the people out of here."

Chat nodded without hesitation and jumped to action. 

Together, they pulled as many people out as they could. An old lady, shaking in Chat's arms. A little girl crying in Ladybug's. A couple that didn't dare let go of each other until they were both out of danger. They were all so utterly terrified.  _I did this,_ Ladybug thought to herself painfully. 

"Ladybug!" Chat's voice, suddenly urgent, called her attention. She followed his eyes and spotted a car, balancing dangerously, a couple of kids holding on to their sits for dear life and unable to leave without the whole thing falling. 

She didn't stop to think. 

" _Lucky Charm!"_

She summoned her creation energy, feeling it tingle across her skin and light the world up for a second before a rope appeared in her hands. Thinking on her toes, she looked around. A  _rope._ A rope? What good was a rope? They couldn't strap the car, it just wouldn't hold. It was barely enough to keep one person, maybe two- The idea formed in her head quickly —suddenly obvious and clear as they always did. 

"Chat, the streetlight!" 

She would never fully understand how Chat's brain synced with her, how he understood exactly what she needed, but he did. Wonderful Chat Noir, he did. He summoned his Cataclysm and touched the base of the street light's pole. Instead of shattering entirely, it was damaged enough to bend over and fall, creating a bridge between both sides of the hole. Ladybug jumped to the pole quickly, perfectly balancing herself to the center of the hole. She wrapped the rope around the metal pole, begging it would hold, then jumped back to the edge of the hole. Quickly, she jumped inside the car, feeling it further lose balance. She only had a couple seconds. 

"Quick! Tie yourselves," she instructed both kids —god, they were  _kids_ but they were probably barely younger than  _her_. _Beep Beep Beep._

She made sure the knots were secure, then pulled them out. The car sickeningly balanced again, back and forth. Once. Then it fell to the hole. She heard the kids scream. She heard Chat call her name. _Beep beep beep._

As the kids jumped out, the rope kept them safely strapped to the streetlight, hanging from the middle the hole. Ladybug fell, but she was quick to use her Yo-yo to strap herself from the same made-up metal bridge. She pulled herself up, then the kids. Chat used his staff to help them get out safely.  _Beep Beep Beep._

It'd all seemed relatively easy, but by the time Ladybug reached the edge of the hole her breathing was heavy and her legs shaky. That'd been  _too_ close. Chat rushed to her side, put a hand on her shoulder. She recognized the way his hand closed tightly around her shoulder. He'd been scared. 

"Good job, My Lady. Are you alright?"

Ladybug nodded. Her earrings beeped once again. 

"I'm about to detransform," she informed the obvious. 

There was an explosion in the building ahead. "It's a gas leak," someone shouted running out. 

"The akuma is close!" Ladybug straightened up, ready to help. Chat stopped her, still holding her shoulder. 

"I've got this. You go recharge your kwami."

She wanted to protest, but she knew it'd be no use. "Be careful," she asked quietly before running away. 

* * *

 Marinette detransformed behind a kiosk. She caught an exhausted Tikki in her hands, giving her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, I had to use my lucky charm..."

"I know, to save those kids. You did good, Marinette," the small kwami gave her a soft look. "I will be okay. I just need something to eat."

"Oh! I have some of my mom's cookies here," she said, searching through her purse. "Let's just find somewhere calms so you can eat." 

She rushed forward to the park, from where hopefully she'd still be able to keep an eye on Chat as her little friend ate. Setting herself in a bench —the place empty given the disasters going on. She set her purse aside, a safe place for the little spirit to feed in just in case. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back on the bench. All those people, hurt and scared, all because she couldn't keep her anger in check.  _Great work, Marinette,_ she thought bitterly. 

Then a new voice roamed around her head, soothing and low and cruel. 

 _Ah, Ladybug, who would have thought?_ Hawkmoth's voice was amused, mocking, in her head.  _I would have never imagined that it was you to bring so much delightful destruction to the city you love. More than I ever did._

 _"No,_ no! Get out!" She fought back the darkness spreading around her. 

"Marinette?" Tikki's worried voice came out of her purse, but she closed it before she could come out. She had to protect her. She couldn't let Papillon find her. 

_Aren't you ashamed? Or are you proud? So much destruction, so much pain and fear. Behold Paris' great heroine. Oh, darling, you really are unlucky._

She could feel it coming over her, dark and cold, spreading up from the tips of her toes. She fought it with all her strength, as if urging her body to detransform. She couldn't let him win. 

_Why do you resist me, child? I am merely offering you a way to mend your mistakes, to save everyone you love the most. I am offering you control over the destruction, over the anger and the bad luck. You can stop all the pain. All you have to do is give me the miraculous, yours and Chat Noir, and then no one else will ever be in danger again. Isn't that what you want?_

"No, no. I will never. I won't let you win!"

_The more you resist me, the more pain you cause, Marinette. Look at your friend, Chat Noir. How long do you think he will last? Sacrificing himself for your life, because you couldn't do any better. Again, and again. How long do you think I will allow for him to live?_

As if on cue, the building from where Chat was desperately trying to pull survivors out of collapsed onto itself. The loud sound was gut-wrenching. 

"Chat!" She called desperately, not sure if it was worry over him or a cry for help. She felt her eyes prickle with tears. 

 _All you have to do is give me the miraculous,_ Hawkmoth insisted,  _and I will let him live. I will let them all live. Your parents, Alya, Nino, Adrien... none of them have to suffer again. You can save them for good._

Tears were running down Marinette's cheeks, her body tense and petrified like a stone. She was shaking, trying to control the darkness from taking over her will, but the more the man talked into her head the more  _sense_ his words made to her. All her fault, it was all her fault, and she couldn't fix it or stop it without others being in danger. 

"Marinette!" Tikki had managed to fly out of her purse, floating in front of her face, trying to get the girl to look at her. "Marinette, you can't give up! You can't let him win!"

Tears streamed across her face as she opened her eyes, a dark shadow casted over her eyes and a purple butterfly masking her features. 

"I'm... I'm sorry... Tikki...  _run_..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, trying to move the plot forward
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left comments!


	5. Cataclysm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, tell me, Chat," Bad Luck purred his name as if it was a familiar one, "are you still curious?"
> 
> "You know what they say," he laughed, nervously, "about curiosity and cats."
> 
> "No, no, I remember what you said," she said, one hand coming up to touch his face. When she pulled it back, her claws here shining. Chat's eyes opened wide, as if the world seemed to come to a halt. Cataclysm. No, it wasn't possible. She couldn't. "You said, you'd always wondered what would happened if you used it in another person."

"Ladybug?" Chat appeared virtually a second later, urgency in his tone despite the smile everlasting on his lips. "You called, My Lady?"

For a moment, he couldn't see anyone around, figured Ladybug must have transformed again and leaped into action. He was about to run back to the disaster area when a familiar voice made him freeze. He struggled to figure out where he knew it from —Ladybug? School? Danger?. 

"Always so quick to show up to the rescue, kitty cat," Bad Luck purred. Chat looked up, found her perched on a treat like a stray cat. He was really starting to get pissed at her stealing his moves. 

"Marinette," he shook his head. "No. How-"

"Ah, some might just say this is not your lucky day, kitty," she laughed, jumping off the tree. 

The moment her feet touched the ground, Chat knew he had to get moving. The crack on the floor followed him several feet, he barely managed to use his staff to get away from it on time. His breathing was labored as he turned around to face her. 

"Marinette! You have to stop this! You don't want to hurt all this people."

With an agile jump, she crossed the breach between them, throwing a hit at him with her staff. He barely had time to block it. She was  _fast_.

"You are not the quick minded one, are you, Chat Noir?" She laughed, each word punctuated with a blow that he was having a harder and harder time blocking. He didn't even have time for quick witted comebacks, too focused on defending himself. He'd have to remind himself to bring some macaroons to his fencing teacher tomorrow, without training he'd probably be done for already. "I told you! The name. Is. _Bad Luck!_ "

In retrospective, he should have seen it coming. The words were obvious enough, and then there was that sharp smile —so little Marinette in it— and a purple glow. Next thing he knew, something tripped him and he fell on his back. He held his staff up horizontally, trying to block anymore attacks, and found himself pinned to the ground by Bad Luck. There was something dark in her eyes that made his insides twist. She put both hands on his staff, pushed down until it was pressed to his throat, her face was so close to his, he could feel her breathing against his face. He tried to push back against the ground, as far as he could.

"So, tell me, Chat," Bad Luck purred his name as if it was a familiar one, "are you still curious?"

"You know what they say," he laughed, nervously, "about curiosity and cats."

"No, no, I remember what you said," she said, one hand coming up to touch his face. When she pulled it back, her claws here shining. Chat's eyes opened wide, as if the world seemed to come to a halt.  _Cataclysm._ No, it wasn't possible. She couldn't. "You said, you'd always wondered what would happened if you used it in another person."

"I'd never do that!"

"Oh, but you tried," she laughed, her hand hovering right above his face. Chat had no idea what she was talking about, but he didn't dare move, or ask. 

For a second —that felt quite like an eternity—, Chat was sure this was his end. This would be the way he died. This was the day, and he hadn't gotten to tell his father how much he missed him, he hadn't gotten to tell Ladybug he loved her (what had even been his last words to her?). He wouldn't get to tell Marinette this wasn't her fault. No, this was the day Chat Noir, and Adrien Agreste, would die. Fear, strange thing it was, made his blood run cold, oddly calm. He dully noted the irony, of being killed by the same attack he'd used countless times to save Paris.  _Talk about bad luck._

Suddenly, a purple butterfly appeared on Bad Luck's face. Talking to Hawkmoth, he knew. He'd long stopped wondering what happened in this mystical conversations. Everything pointed out at Hawkmoth demanding the miraculous be delivered to him. This one, however, seemed not be quite as one-sided. 

Bad Luck's face turned into a frown he'd seen in Marinette a million times —in Ladybug too, while she thought of a plan. God, he was going to miss her.

"No," Bad Luck's voice was firm as she replied to Hawkmoth. She seemed to have completely forgotten about him, except for her tight grip of his staff and the claw hovering over his face. "I  _won't_. He- No. I know what to do."

Had she decided against killing him, or to finish him once and for all? For a long moment, Bad Luck seemed as if she was fighting herself, debating an impossible choice. Then, she smiled and his insides froze.

With a delicate pirouette, Bad Luck got off him. Chat needed a moment to react, his heart hammering violently inside his chest. When he finally sat up, Bad Luck was looking at him with a self-sufficient smile. 

"So?" She asked calmly, as the sparkles disappeared from her claw. That wasn't  _fair,_ he couldn't to  _that_. "Are you still curious?" She pressed on. 

"Not so much now," he admitted, dryly. 

"Oh, but I am," the grin on her face only grew. "And I know exactly who to try it on."

He readied himself, staff up in a defensive position. 

"Oh, no silly cat, not on  _you_ ," she rolled her eyes. "Haven't you wondered where Ladybug is?"

"I'm sure she's just getting ready to kick your ass," Chat smiled confidently. The fact that Bad Luck's smile didn't waver made him halt. 

"Think again, Chat Noir. Ladybug isn't coming today to your aid."

"What have you done?!"

"Me? Nothing yet," she laughed. "Ladybug is safely tucked away for now, where she can't interfere. Even _she_ can run out of good luck."

"You're bluffing," Chat tried to laugh, but it came out short, humorless. 

"Am I, now?" Bad Luck grinned, pushing her hair behind her ears.

Chat heart stopped beating. He knew it wasn't scientifically possible, but it was the only way to explain the sudden void in his chest. There, sitting on Marinette's small ears, were Ladybug's earrings. No.  _No, no, no._ That couldn't be true. 

"Marinette, what have you done?!" He yelled furiously, stepping forward, all fear for his own life forgotten. 

"I told you, nothing yet," she smiled, not backing away, waiting for him with something that resembled pride, "but I could, in this very second. I could  _destroy her_."

"You won't."

"Not if you give me your miraculous," she extended her palm out, calmly. "Hand it over now, and you have my word that both of you will be unharmed. You won't have to suffer ever again."

Chat stopped in front of her. He wasn't sure at what point he'd stopped thinking about fighting. Rage boiled in every inch of his body —rage directed to Marinette, who he knew he had no  _right_ to blame— but he couldn't move. He couldn't do anything to endanger his Lady. Ladybug, his best friend. His first real friend. The girl who had saved his life countless times, who saved his life day after day simply by existing. She was somewhere alone, without powers, counting on him. She'd hate him for this, for giving up, but he couldn't blame him. He loved her. He would  _not_ lose her. 

His eyes were locked on Bad Luck as he reached up for his gloved hand, fingers touching the ring. 

"I promise, kitty cat, this is the best way. Trust me."

He frowned at her furiously, but continued moving the ring up through his finger. 

" _No!"_ The voice he heard wasn't Ladybugs. It wasn't anyone he knew. It was small, and soft, and urgent. He froze. Something red flew to his hand, stopping his motions. He stared, wide eyed, as a kwami's eyes met his. She was red, with big blue eyes, and a warmth to her that his heart had been craving. It started beating again.

"You are..."

"Ladybug's kwami!"

"You! I told you to get out of here!" Bad Luck yelled, and she looked angry for the first time. Something felt off about it. 

The kwami didn't spare a look on her. 

"You can't give her your ring, Chat Noir!"

"But Ladybug's in danger! I can't just-"

"You have to trust me! Trust Ladybug! Chat!"

Chat's head was spinning. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't the planner, he was the doer. He was the follower to Ladybug's lead. He couldn't do this alone. He couldn't even  _think._ He needed to-

"Cataclysm!" He called in a rush, giving the akumatized Marinette one quick look before he dug his claws on the pavement. Bad Luck jumped back, out of the way. He fell, down to the Parisian sewer system. He disappeared into the darkness, while a held back sob rocked his bones. What had he just done? Had he sacrificed the love of his life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while writing this I realized how similar it is to what happened in the Volpina episode, hehee. *Shrugs* Marinette would sacrifice everything for him, and he would for her. This two idiots are both in too deep. 
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone leaving messages and kudos! You are the best <3


	6. A Cat's Gambit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How do you fix a black heart?"
> 
> "With true love."
> 
> Adrien blinked at Tikki, wondering if she was serious. She seemed to be. 
> 
> "That's how Ladybug fixed you when you were under Black Cupid's spell," she smiled widely. 
> 
> Every engine in his brain was abruptly pulled to a stop.

Chat didn't know how long he had been running in the darkness. He hadn't stopped once, not even when his transformation faded out with a flash of green. He just caught Plagg and kept running.  _Where to?_ He didn't know. 

"Chat!" The small voice of Ladybug's kwami finally made him stop. "Chat, you have to go back."

"No, I have to find Ladybug," he said. The resolution of those words made him feel better, with a purpose. Once he found her, she would know what to do. But how would he recognize her? "Do you know where she is?" He asked, already moving to pull out his phone and shed some light to the darkness around him. The nearest stairs weren't too far away and he jumped quickly to them, started climbing out. 

"I... don't," the kwami seemed to doubt before answering. Adrien wasn't sure he believed her, but why would Ladybug's kwami lie to him? 

"Ugh," Adrien made a face when he finally made it out to the street, "that place smells even worse than your camembert cheese, Plagg." The joke felt necessary, but it fell flat, he was too worried to be humorous. 

"Where is Ladybug?" He insisted, looking at the Kwami hidden inside his jacket. The little red spirit flied out, looked at his face so closely he nearly went cross-eyed trying to look back into her eyes. 

"You are Adrien! Oh, my goodness, you are Adrien!"

"You  _know_ me?" He jumped back. 

The kwami quickly seemed to recover from her surprise, shaking her head. 

"Ladybug has saved you before, right? I was with her. My name is Tikki!"

"Tikki," he repeated the name, heart warmed by the cuteness of Ladybugs kwami. So much light in her, reminded him of his lady. He smiled softly.

"Tikki!" His own kwami interrupted, as if he could sense the soft spot growing in Adrian for the little red creature, "stop distracting him! I need him to get me my cheese!"

"Plagg!" Tikki flied down, pressed herself against the cat into what seemed to be a hug. 

"Yes, yes, it's good to see you, but I want my cheese!"

Cheese. Right. Adrien got his ideas straight. He needed to recharge his kwami to save Ladybug. 

"C'mon, I know where to find you your cheese," he said, running down the street. He found a fancy restaurant a few blocks ahead, sneaked in the back and into the kitchens. God, he prayed no one would find him here, crouched behind a cabinet door, talking to two magical creatures. That'd be a tough one to explain. 

"Hurry up, Plagg. Ladybug needs our help," he pressed. "We need to find her."

"No, you don't," Tikki sighed. "You need to find Bad Luck."

"Bad Luck can wait, if Ladybug's in danger-"

"Ladybug is fine, I  _promise,"_ Tikki insisted, grabbing Adrien's hand, "but she won't be for long if Bad Luck hands over her miraculous to Hawkmoth. We need to stop her."

"How?" Adrien whined. "I can't purify the akuma without Ladybug! I'm fighting Bad Luck with _more_ bad luck! And even if I could, she's not wearing her purse anymore. I don't even know where the akuma  _is_."

"I- I think it's inside her..." Tikki frowned. 

"What?! Plagg, can that happen?"

"Maybe," the cat shrugged, eyes still on his cheese, "if he got a person to really put their heart to the task, to surrender entirely."

"Why would Marinette do something like that?" Adrien sighed worriedly, rubbing a hand through his messy hair. Marinette was sweet and loving and kind, she was the exact opposite to everything Hawkmoth represented. Why would she be working with him willingly? "How am I suppose to stop her then? Breaking her heart? I don't want to hurt her!"

"You don't have to!" Tikki was smiling, oddly enough. "You have to  _fix_ it."

"How do you fix a black heart?"

"With true love."

Adrien blinked at Tikki, wondering if she was serious. She seemed to be. 

"That's how Ladybug fixed you when you were under Black Cupid's spell," she smiled widely. 

Every engine in his brain was abruptly pulled to a stop. 

"She... Ladybug... She... She k- kissed  _me_?"

He felt his face grow hot, hotter than it ever had. This was ridiculous. He had to focus. He had to save his Lady, but he couldn't stop imagining it. She'd kissed him. 

"A true loves kiss!" Plagg nodded. "It worked greatly."

"You  _knew_!" Adrien accused his kwami, face still as red as Tikki's. 

"Well, you never  _asked_."

"You have to kiss Marinette!" Tikki said, flying between them. "It's the only way to fix her without hurting her."

"B- But... I- I love  _Ladybug_..." Adrien insisted. 

Tikki made a distressed sound, gave Plagg a long look. Adrien knew that look. It was the same kind that his lady and him shared in the midst of battle, a million words and understandings crossing between them in the fraction of a second. It made him miss Ladybug so much his heart ached. What if he never saw her again?

"It will work," Plagg finally declared, as if he and Tikki had been discussing the matter throughly. 

" _How?"_ He whined. "Even if I  _could_ get close enough-"

"No, like Chat you won't," Plagg laughed. "Bad Luck's got you measured out. She would take your miraculous."

"You need to be Adrien!" Tikki was still smiling and he grew more and more confused by the second. 

" _Adrien?_ What good is  _Adrien Agreste_ going to be against an akuma?!"

"You know Marinette, no? She's your friend."

"Uh, yes. I- I think we are, but right now she's not herself. I don't-"

"She  _cares_ about you, Adrien," Tikki insisted. "She will not harm you."

Adrien rubbed a hand over his face, gave his kwami a look. No offense to Tikki, but he still trusted his companion more than anyone else —except, maybe, Ladybug herself.

Plagg had finished eating his cheese, he flew into his jacket. 

"It will work, kid, and I will be here with you, in case you need me."

"...okay," he dropped his head. "I'll try."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative titles for this chapter: 
> 
> a) Tikki, your shipper heart is showing.  
> b) Adrien, you oblivious cinnamon roll.  
> c) Marinette, if you knew what's cooking you'd be dying right now.
> 
> This is sort of a short one?


	7. Good Luck Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This is not the way, Mari. You have to trust in Ladybug and Chat Noir to fix it."
> 
> Bad Luck closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked in pain. That was the instant Adrien knew he would go for it. He had to help her, save her. Marinette was a victim here, and if he had even the slightest chance to fix her, he would. He reached out for her again, she opened her eyes just before he touched her, backed away. 
> 
> "Don't. Just go, Adrien. Please. Let me do this."
> 
> "No," he said softly. "Hey, don't worry. I have a lucky charm, remember?" He pulled out with a shaky hand the lucky charm she had given him long ago. He really hoped it worked for more than winning at video games.

"Marinette!" Adrien called, feeling his heart beat furiously in his heart.  _Stop it. You fight evil every other day, this should not be scary to you._ Oh, but it was. What he had to do, he'd rather fight the T-Rex again. 

"Ah, kitty cat, I knew you would find me," Bad Luck turned around, a sharp grin on her face. When she saw him, it disappeared. "A-  _Adrien?"_

His heart skipped a beat, maybe two. That'd sounded like her, like Marinette. Maybe this would work. 

Bad Luck recovered quickly from the surprise, swung herself until she was standing in front of him, eyeing him up and down in a way he's seen women do several times before. He'd never particularly liked it. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, casually leaning on her on her staff. 

"I- I was looking for you," words were hard to get out of his mouth. 

"Oh," she blinked, then smiled again. There was less danger in that smile. "Well, I'd like to see you too, but I'm a little busy at the moment. I'm waiting for someone else."

"O- Oh, yeah?" He rubbed the back of his head. 

"Yes, I need Chat Noir's miraculous," she said calmly, "then I'll be all yours."

His stomach back flipped. He should not be remotely as excited about that motion as he  _was._

"Why do you want to take Chat Noir's miraclous?" He frowned. "Marinette, you know giving them to Hawkmoth is bad."

"My name is Bad Luck," she muttered, reticently. She blinked at him, looking hurt for a second. Then, she turned her back on him. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me. Tell me," he said, reaching out to grab her wrist.There was a sudden burst of energy, he got sent a couple feet back, falling on his back.  _Oof,_ that'd been a bad idea. 

"Adrien!" Again, that voice was Marinette's. She rushed to him, then stopped herself before touching him, hands grasping her staff so hard she seemed like she might bend it. "Get out of here! I- I don't want to hurt you!"

"But you would hurt Ladybug?! Chat Noir?!"

" _No!"_ The conviction in her voice was so gut-wrenching, he froze.  _What was he missing?_ "I'm making sure no one ever gets hurt again!"

"Marinette-"

" _Bad Luck,_ " she corrected again, stubbornly, stepping back as he got up on his feet, reticent to touch him again. "You don't get it. Don't you want the akuma attacks to stop, Adrien? I'm trying to keep you safe! Keep you all safe!"

"This is not the way, Mari. You have to trust in Ladybug and Chat Noir to fix it."

Bad Luck closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked in  _pain._ That was the instant Adrien knew he would go for it. He had to help her, save her. Marinette was a victim here, and if he had even the slightest chance to fix her, he would. He reached out for her again, she opened her eyes just before he touched her, backed away. 

"Don't. Just go, Adrien.  _Please._ Let me do this."

"No," he said softly. "Hey, don't worry. I have a lucky charm, remember?" He pulled out with a shaky hand the lucky charm she had given him long ago. He really hoped it worked for more than winning at video games. 

The look Marinette gave the charm was shocked and wide eyed and  _moved,_ the same look she had given him back in her bedroom. And he knew. And he didn't hesitate to reach out and kiss her. 

The moment his mouth covered hers he felt a tingle run through him. First, he thought it was bad luck again, then it felt warmer, it felt right and familiar. The sound that left her throat was all purely Marinette, no trace of the akuma. Under his hand, he felt her clothes shift back to normal as she kissed back. Marinette was kissing him back, and he was kissing  _her._

He only pulled back when he felt her knees bend over, helping her slowly to the floor. Marinette was breathing heavily. A black butterfly left her chest, and she looked as if she could take a proper breath for the first time in hours. Taking a hand up to her lips, she looked at him, eyes wide and shocked. God, he hoped she wouldn't cry again. His heart would break if she did. 

"A- Adrien! What- What happened?" She asked quietly. 

_Hell if I know._

"It's okay. It's okay, you are okay," he tried to reassure her, crouching down by her side. Marinette's eyes left him, looked around. 

"The akuma-"

"It's gone."

"N- No. It's escaping. We- We have to..."

Adrien arched an eyebrow. She was right, they had to purify the akuma, but they needed Ladybug for that. If she'd freed herself, maybe she'd come here. Hopefully on time. 

"You have to get out of here!" Both of them said at the same time, urgency in their voices as they looked at one another. Adrien blinked. Right, she didn't know. 

"Okay," he sight. "Let's go. You go ahead, I'll catch up with you."

He expected her to complain. She didn't. She stood up in shaky feet and ran off. As soon as she was out of sight, he transformed. Tikki flew in front of him, looking oddly happy.

"I will get Ladybug! You find the akuma!"

Chat smirked and nodded once dryly before she disappeared. He cracked his knuckles.

"Looks like the cat's got a butterfly to catch."

* * *

 

Marinette didn't have time to be upset about what had happened, she didn't have time to think about the akuma or Adrien —oh god, Adrien, had she hurt him? She needed to stop that akuma before it —she— hurt anyone else. As soon as Tikki showed up, she transformed. Happy reunions and tearful apologies would have to wait. 

She leaped back into action. When she arrived to the scene, Chat was in the middle of a flip in the air. Between his claws, he trapped the dark akuma. For a horrible second, she feared it would affect him. No. She had no time to lose. 

"Chat Noir!"

The way his face lit up broke her heart. He still had no idea of what she had done. 

"My Lady!" She smiled brightly. "Catch!"

The process was as simple as any other. Ladybug caught the akuma, purified it, freed it, but something was missing in her usual cheerful self, something felt broken. 

"Pump it!" She tried to keep things normal, reaching out to Chat Noir with her closed fist. Instead, she found herself nearly tackled to the ground by a tight hug. Chat had hugged her before, once or twice, but never like this, never so fervently. She felt his nose buried against her neck, his frantic heartbeat against her chest. She melted into his arms, hugging back. God, she needed that hug, that comfort and friendship she didn't  _deserve_ right now. 

"I thought she-"

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine. You're not the only one with nine lives, kitty," she teased, pulling away from him. 

The way he looked at her next, though, made her heart twist. He averted her eyes, he looked down and he looked  _guilty._ Over what?

"Marinette," the word left his lips and Ladybug thought she was going to pass out. "I need to make sure she's fine. She was-"

"Oh, she's alright," Ladybug reassured him quickly, relief flooding her.  _He doesn't know._ "She's fine! I saw her leaving the building with Adrien."

Chat blinked. 

"Uh, yes?" 

"Yeah, yeah. They are both fine."

When Chat didn't respond for a long moment, worry started creeping over her again.

"Are you alright, kitty?"

"Me," the devilish smile returned to his face, "I'm paw-rfect, My Lady. How about you?"

"Peachy," the response came out sharper and flatter than she'd intended to. Chat winced. 

"What's wrong, Ladybug? Are you sure you are not hurt?"

She should not tell him. She should not. She really should keep this to herself but... but she needed to tell someone. A friend. 

"He knows," she finally let out the words, painful and heavy. "Chat, he  _knows_ who I am."

"Hawkmoth?" He breathed out, worry painting his face in a way she'd never seen before.

Ladybug nodded sully, dropping her head, feeling as if the whole world was crashing down around her. 

"My friends, my family... he'll know everything."

"Tell me," Chat urged her, holding her arm with tight delicacy. "Please, Ladybug. Tell me, let me help you. I will help you keep them safe."

She looked up at him, tearful eyes. She hated that he had to see her this way. This wasn't who she was meant to be, not as Ladybug, not around him. 

"No."

"But, My Lady-"

"No," she said firmly, recovering a bit of her pose, at least enough to pull back away from him and stand up straight. "This is  _my_ mess, Chat. I got myself into it. I will deal with it. I wouldn't dare endanger you too."

"Ladybug..." he seemed as if he wanted to say more, but he didn't dare.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, before yo-yoing away. She needed distance. She needed to keep them all safe, keep him safe from herself and her mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the angst continues!!!
> 
> This would have been where I originally ended this but the more I wrote the more I realized the big ramifications something like this would create
> 
> And so, our heroes still have one more problem to take care of
> 
> Also, suspicious Adrien ;) [fucking finally!]


	8. Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had kissed Marinette, sweet and brave and kind Marinette who had cried at the sole idea of having hurt someone. Marinette who could barely get three words out in a go some times, and others could go on entire rants against Chloe's antics. Marinette, who was sitting behind him with those pink lips and big blue eyes, unaware that he had tasted them hours earlier. He licked his own lips, in a futile attempt to find once more at least a trace of that sugary taste. She'd tasted like cookies.

The following morning, Adrien was still going over the events of the previous day, trying to figure out how to help Ladybug if she wouldn't  _let_ him, how to keep her safe. She hadn't talked about how Bad Luck got her miraculous, or how she broke free, and he couldn't shake off the feeling there was something else she wasn't telling him. He didn't like it. Aside from her identity, Ladybug had never been the kind to keep secrets from him. She hated lies, and yet he knew she wasn't being  _entirely_ honest.

He was finally pulled out of his thoughts when Marinette walked into the classroom, closely escorted by Alya, who was keeping any curious eyes away with a death glare. He hadn't expected her to show up to school at all today, not after the two intense days she'd had. His brow creased with worry, and he didn't notice how he was  _staring_ until she glanced up and her eyes caught his. 

The world could have paused, shattered away and caught on fire all at the same time, and he wouldn't have noticed, because in that very moment he remembered one more thing he hadn't let himself think about until then.  _He'd kissed Marinette._

"Hi- Hi, Adrien!" Marinette said, her shoulders so tense by her sides they almost touched her ears. 

He felt his face grow hot. His heart started beating frantically and his palms got sweaty at a speed he wouldn't have believed to be possible. His stomach felt as if he was taking a leap from a twenty stories building, and his mind was replaying the moment so vividly he tripped over his own thoughts. 

"Ma- Marinette! He- hey! How- How are you?" 

Since when did he stutter? God, what was wrong with him?

The girl looked at him as if he'd grown a second head, a pink blush dusting her cheeks, much like it had after-

"Good," she said quietly, not much conviction to her tone. Before he could say anything else, Alya was gently leading her friend to their seats before the class began. 

After that moment, the class was entirely wasted on him. He might as well have been at home staring at a wall. He couldn't listen to any words coming out of the teacher's mouth, could barely focus on what was written ahead of him, all he could think of was Marinette, sitting painfully close to him. He thought he could feel her eyes on his back, but then again, why would she be looking at him at all? She didn't  _know._ He'd kissed her and she didn't  _know._ He did, though, and now he couldn't stop replaying the moment in his head. He'd kissed people before, while acting or in photoshoots, but nothing that felt like that. He remembered the way she had reciprocated, the way his own lips had acted on their own accord, kissing back avidly. The temperature of the room seemed to keep getting higher. 

He had kissed  _Marinette,_ sweet and brave and kind Marinette who had cried at the sole idea of having hurt someone. Marinette who could barely get three words out in a go some times, and others could go on entire rants against Chloe's antics. Marinette, who was sitting behind him with those pink lips and big blue eyes, unaware that he had tasted them hours earlier. He licked his own lips, in a futile attempt to find once more at least a trace of that sugary taste. She'd tasted like cookies. 

She had never thought of her like this, not because she wasn't pretty but because she  _wasn't Ladybug._ Marinette wasn't the girl he had been entirely devoted to this past year, and yet she was the one he'd kissed. A True Love Kiss, that had  _worked._ What did that mean? Did that mean he loved her? Could he really love a girl he had barely spoken to a few times, no matter how amazing he was sure she was? Could he really love her despite the fact that he loved Ladybug too? Did it work if it was only one side that was in love? Was he the side... or was it her? Did  _she_ love  _him_?

He was infinitely thankful when the bell rang, providing a distraction to get him out of his head.

"Dude, are you sure you're not sick?" Nino asked, turning to look at him with an expression that was equal parts concern and frustration. 

"Uh, no. I'm good," he assured him quickly.

"You sure? 'Cause your face's looking all red, dude, and you barely reacted when the teacher said we have exam tomorrow."

"She what now?!" Adrien jumped. 

Nino laughed. 

"Got ya!"

With a groan, Adrien sank his head between his arms. "You're cruel, Nino," he whined. 

"Sorry, dude, but I had to prove my point."

Adrien sighed, straightening up on his chair as many of the students left for gym class. His eyes caught on Marinette as she passed in front of him. She didn't even glance his way, her eyes were distant and unusually serious. He didn't know since when had he started to pay so much attention at the way she acted, but he could tell this wasn't normal. She seemed too serious, too deep in thought. He wondered if she could possibly remember the kiss. Part of him wished she did, so that he wouldn't feel so utterly insane, but he knew it was a long shot. Either way, he had to talk to her. What for? He wasn't sure.

* * *

 

"Hey, Marinette!" He called after her as they left for home that day. 

The girl turned around, startled, tripping on the last few steps of the school's entrance and nearly falling backwards. Without thinking, he caught her by the waist —which turned out to land them in a pose that seemed out of a cheesy movie poster, with her on his arms, her hand hooked around his neck and their faces too close to each others to be normal. He didn't need to see his own face to know how hopelessly red he'd just turned, he quickly pulled back, helping her up. 

 _Why can't I just be Chat right now?_ This things were always so much easier with the mask on. As Chat Noir, he could shamelessly flirt with Ladybug despite how much he adored her, but right now he couldn't talk to Marinette without causing an accident or making a fool of himself. He stopped dead on his tracks, because that train of thought would mean to put both girls at the same level and that wasn't possible, was it?

 _All of this for a single kiss. Get a hold of yourself,_ oh yes, his inner monologue had definitely turned into Plagg.

For once, though, Marinette hadn't turned into a stuttering mess. Instead, she was looking at him intensely, wide eyes wide open and her arms tightly pressed to her chest, as if her whole self had gone into a pause, frozen and unable to move or react. 

"Uh, Marinette?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah!" She jumped quickly. "So- sorry, Adrien. Yes. I mean, no. I mean, did you ask something?"

"Not yet," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Oh, sorry."

"No, no. It's okay," he said quickly.  _You nearly kill the girl in the stairs and then make her feel bad about it, good going._ "I- I wanted to know if you were alright?"

"Yeah, I mean, you know I- I fall for you- I mean, I  _fall_ all the time, it's not because of you. I mean, it was but I- I just tripped-"

One thing that was the same between Marinette and Ladybug, he realized, was how he had to stay on his toes to keep up with their train of thought. Of course, due two entirely different reasons. 

"No, no. I mean, after yesterday-"

" _Oh_ ," the way Marinette said that word was entirely different as the rest of her blabbering. Her voice was suddenly so small, so contained and doubtful, that he immediately regretted his decision to ask her. "Yes. I- I'm better now. Thanks."

"No problem," he murmured. 

He wasn't sure what else to say, especially when she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I- You were there. I don't know why, but if I said- if I  _did_ anything to you- I'm..."

"No, no, Marinette. You didn't," he assured her quickly. 

"Good," she sighed, dropping her shoulders. "I'm sorry anyway..."

"No,  _I'm_ sorry. I left and I didn't see you after. I just- I wanted to make sure you were fine."

"Yeah!" She suddenly looked up, with a smile too sudden and tight to be truth. "Yeah, totally fine. Sorry, I didn't see you. Ladybug took me home."

No, she didn't. 

"She- She did?"

"Yeah," Marinette kept on smiling widely, "she was very nice. She didn't want me walking home alone after that, so she took me there."

Oh. 

"Well, I'm glad," he said, at a lost.

"Thanks, Adrien," Marinette's smile faded away to a softer one. "I- I have to go home."

"Okay, sure. Me too," he murmured, still stuck inside his own head. 

Marinette waved as she walked away. Adrien wasn't sure if he waved back or not. He wasn't there, he was a million miles away, trying to put together the puzzle he'd suddenly walked into. He sat on the car, looking out the window as Nathalie reviewed his schedule, not listening at all.

 _Oh, she's alright. I saw her leaving the building with Adrien,_ Ladybug had said the day before. Except, she hadn't, because  _he_ was Adrien and he hadn't left the building. He'd let Marinette get out before transforming into Chat Noir. He'd caught the lie before, and he'd thought Ladybug was only disoriented after the big events of the day. he had been sure she wouldn't lie to him, because she absolutely  _hated_ lies. 

 _Ladybug took me home,_ had said Marinette just a moment ago. Except, she hadn't. He'd seen Ladybug yo-yo off towards Paris on her own. 

They were both lying to him, but why-

The puzzle pieces suddenly fitted together in his head perfectly. 

_Oh-_

"Nathalie, pull over I have to-"

And then, there was a crash, the loudest sound he had heard in his life. He felt the car being thrown to the side violently, glass flying everywhere. And then, he sank into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you thought it'd stopped with the angst YOU WERE WRONG
> 
> no one's dead I promise 
> 
> also LIGHT HAS BEEN SHED IN AIDREN'S BRAIN PRAISE THE LORD
> 
> I figured the tipping point would come when both their civilan and superhero identities got too intertwined hehe
> 
> big things coming next!
> 
> will Adrien play along the damsel in distress part? ;)


	9. The Chat Out Of The Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Come on, Chat, where are you?" Adrien heard her mutter between clenched teeth, and his insides hurt even worse than his wounds did. She needed him and he was right there, but unable to help. He had to trust his Lady to get out of this on her own.

Just when Marinette thought this day couldn't go worse, destiny decided to prove her wrong. 

She was still on her way to her house when she heard the police sirens. She stopped on her tracks, looking over her shoulder towards the street. One, two, three police cars passed her by. Whatever it was, it was  _big._ She hurried around the corner and jumped inside a phone booth.

"Marinette," Tikki said gently as she flew out of her purse, "maybe you should rest today, let the police handle it until we are sure it's an akuma."

"No," she frowned deeply. She wasn't going to let her feelings get in the way of doing her job, and she _desperately_ needed to feel herself useful and back in control.  "We are needed. Tikki, spots on!"

As soon as she was transformed, she rushed out, yo-yoing through the rooftops towards the site the police were rushing too. As soon as she saw it, she felt cold. It was a disaster. The street looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie. Several cars were crashed, as if a big wrecking ball had hit them. People on the street were hurt and bleeding. For a horrible moment, she wondered if something had gone wrong while purifying the Bad Luck akuma. No, that couldn't be it. 

She jumped to the street, helping people out of their cars, making sure no one was too badly hurt. Paramedics were already taking care of most of it. Then she saw it. She would recognize that silver car anywhere, it was Adrien's. It was completely wrecked.

 _No. No, no, no, please no,_ she begged mentally as she rushed towards it. The car was empty, two people were already sitting with the paramedics. One of them she recognized as Nathalie, even though her business attire was so disheveled that it make her seem like someone else entirely. Maybe it was the broken look on her face, though.

"What happened here?" She asked, her voice sharper than she had intended.

"It- It came out of nowhere," the woman's voice was shaking, it was clear by the look on her face she was still disoriented from whatever had happened. Ladybug was about to make a softer comment, to offer comfort, and then she heard her say, "Adrien. It- He took Adrien."

Ladybug felt as if the world had stopped turning. She'd traveled through time once, and she could definitely say this was more disturbing. This was her fault. This was all her fault. Hawkmoth knew who she was, he knew who she loved. Of course they'd try to use him to hurt her. How had she not known this?

"Where?!  _Where_ did he take him!" She demanded to know. 

Nathalie looked at the verge of tears, but she managed to point out towards the wreckage's path down the street. 

Without another word, Ladybug swung away through the rooftops.  _Hang on, Adrien. Please, hang on. Please be alright. I'm coming._

* * *

 

When Adrien woke up, the first thing he was aware of was  _pain._ So much pain it made it hard for him to think clearly. His head felt as if someone'd used it to pound meat repetitively. As Chat Noir he'd taken plenty of hits, but his kwami's magic protected him from most of the damage. He'd never really been  _hurt._ He'd nearly forgotten what it felt like. 

As his ideas started to clear up, he looked around. He found himself inside a glass dome, the kind where people would keep something valuable in display. He was not flattered. And then he saw  _them._ People, lots of them, all inside their glass cages just like him, but entirely frozen like wax statues. His stomach did a backflip. 

"Oh, good, you are awake," Plagg said, flying out of his jacket, and Adrien let out a sigh of relief. "Quick, let's transform you and get you out of here before you end up like-"

Adrien barely had time to push Plagg back inside his clothes as he saw the dark figure advancing his way. The akuma was a man, tall and long like a street light. His eyes were amplified by a pair of spectacles as big as Adrien's head. 

"You'll make a good specimen," he noted, curious eyes analyzing him intently. "I promise you will feel nothing, though. I am not that  _cruel,_ I'm merely The Collector."

A witty one liner was dancing on the tip of his tongue, but Adrien had to bite it back for now. He couldn't act too cocky, or he risked blowing his cover and his secret identity. He knew Hawkmoth was watching through the akuma's eyes, and he's surely love to find out who he was behind the mask. He couldn't risk it.

"I will need you to be patient for your turn, though," The Collector sighed, stepping back away from the glad. "I need you breathing to attract a particular bug specimen first."

 _Ladybug._ No. No, he was bait. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let her get hurt. 

It was too late, though. As soon as he realized what was going on, his lady appeared through a window. The entrance was heroic and so marvelous he would have been drooling otherwise, but for the first time he wasn't happy to see her. 

"No! Ladybug, it's a trap!" He yelled, hitting the glass. She looked at him, a pained and worried expression on her face, but she didn't seem to react to his words. 

"I've never liked people that collect bugs," Ladybug said throwing her yoyo at the man, "but you just  _crossed_ that line by far!"

The yoyo wrapped itself around the man's body and, with a pull of Ladybug, threw him flying on the opposite side of the room. Adrien sighed relieved, but the calm lasted only a second before a second voice came out of the shadows. 

"That was terrible," someone roared, as a fist big as a car flew towards Ladybug. "Someone oughta teach you how to deliver a punch line!"

Why did most of the villains had to rely on terrible puns? Something in the back of Adrien's mind complained, as the rest of him watched worriedly as his partner barely managed to avoid the attack. The akumatized man was as big as a bulldozer and he was throwing himself at Ladybug with everything he had. She still hadn't been touched, but he knew his Lady to know she was distracted, a fraction of a second slower than usual. 

"Come on, Chat, where are you?" Adrien heard her mutter between clenched teeth, and his insides  _hurt_ even worse than his wounds did. She  _needed_ him and he was right there, but unable to help. He had to trust his Lady to get out of this on her own.

She didn't seem to be doing too badly. She had always been the better one out of the two of them, he thought. With an elegant twirl in the air, she avoided Punch Line's attack —he must have been a comedian, and judging by his terrible jokes Adrien didn't have a hard time guessing _where_ the negative thoughts had come from. She used his own impulse against him and sent him stumbling back towards the first akuma. The bulldozer fell on top of him, trapping the stick man underneath his huge weight. 

Ladybug should have gone to them and found their akumas immediately. Instead, she rushed to the case he was in.

"No, no! Deal with them, I'm fine!" He said quickly.

Ladybug wasn't listening. She reached the case, looking deadly worried, and touched the glass with both hands, feeling for a weak spot.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Adrien. This is all my fault. I swear I'm going to get you out of here."

"I'm fine, Ladybug, just-" it suddenly dawned on him. "You can't hear me."

Ladybug must have misinterpreted the look that passed his face. She nearly winced.

"It's going to be alright. I swear, I-"

"No it won't," The Collector laughed from the shadows. Even as he tried to pull himself out from under his partner in crime, he managed to point a finger to Adrien's cage. Over the boy's head, a light started shining, more and more, like a charging beam. "In a few seconds, he will be frozen like the others, forever. Unless..."

"Don't you dare!" Adrien yelled.

"Unless you give us your miraculous."

The way Ladybug's face shift made Adrien's heart fall to pieces. She wasn't even looking at them, she was looking at the beam, her eyes glancing back to Adrien with sacrifice written all over her face. She brought her hands up to her earrings.

"No! No, Ladybug, _no!_ " Adrien yelled, rushing to the case's border and hitting his fists against it as hard as he could. Ladybug stopped her movement, startled, tearful eyes looking at him. Why was she doing this? Why wasn't she fighting?

"I'm so sorry-"

"No!" He yelled again, anger clear in his face as he hit the glass and shook his head desperately. He felt himself at the verge of tears. He couldn't be it, he couldn't be the reason she gave up. His eyes met hers, desperate and furious, trying to convey every thought going through his head towards her. As Chat and Ladybug they had never needed words, she had always understood him better than anyone else. _Come on, it's me. You know what I'm saying._ "Don't you dare, Ladybug! I'm fine! I'll be fine! Please! _Please, My Lady!_ "

 Ladybug froze so suddenly she looked like one of the wax statues. She blinked very slowly, as her eyes read his, and Adrien had nearly lost all hope when she finally dropped her hand. A wonderful look of resolve appeared on her eyes instead.

"I'll get you out of here," she said firmly. "I promise."

Adrien sighed heavily and gave her a reassuring smile as he nodded. Good. This was good. 

"I just need my Lucky-"

"Ladybug, watch out!"

It was too late. She didn't hear him. He couldn't do anything as he saw the giant fist throw the woman he loved flying across the room. She fell to the floor, motionlessly, like a puppet without strings. Adrien felt his own throat going raw as he screamed. 

He saw both akumatized men walking towards Ladybug's body. The Collector was already preparing a glass cage, that floated behind him ready to trap her in. 

Adrien didn't think.  _Secret identity be damned,_ he transformed in record time and immediately summoned his Cataclysm. The glass broke around him as he ran towards his Lady desperately. 

Chat reached her just a second before the case closed, sliding out of it's way together towards the farthest end of the room. The motion hadn't stopped as he threw his baton towards the two akumas. Spinning in the air, it hit the both on the head, knocking them down for what he knew would only be a brief moment. 

His sole attention focused on Ladybug as he cradled her. Even with the kwami's help, she looked bruised. He brushed a hand over her cheek, minding the claws. 

"Ladybug! Ladybug, come on. Come on, wake up please. Ladybug.  _Marinette,"_ the word came out of his mouth naturally. He'd made the connection barely a few moments earlier, in the car, but now looking at her he was almost sure. He hoped he was right. 

Her eyes opened slowly, and the first look she gave him was full of confusion. 

"Chat?" She murmured. "You- You  _know...?"_

"Cat's out of the bag, My Lady," Chat couldn't help a smile. 

"H- How?"

"Alley cat smarts." He tapped his head playfully and winked at her.

She didn't look pleased. She looked  _ashamed,_ like she was about to cry. He saw the conflict of emotions crossing her face before she shut it all out. 

"A- Adrien, we have to-"

"He's alright, My Lady. He's out of the cage," he assured her, helping her sit up to take a look herself. His own eyes settled on the akumas, that were already getting back up. "We can talk about that later, bugaboo. First, we have a job to do. Together," he said softly, standing up and offering a hand for her to take. 

And there it was, his Ladybug's smile and brave eyes. Marinette's smile and brave eyes. How could he have been so blind for so long?

"Together," she agreed, taking his hand and letting him help her back up. 

"And fast, please," he laughed. "I have about five minutes after that attack. Maybe four."

"Oh," Ladybug started spinning her yoyo around, a furious glare on her face, "I'm going to need  _less_ than that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo another chapter, even though I've already started classes again hehe 
> 
> Probably just one more to go
> 
> Hope you're all enjoying it! :D


	10. Creation and Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh my god!" Ladybug gapped. "Oh my god! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod-" her voice turned into a mortified whine as she covered her face with her hands. "Oh my god, you- you are- you're Adrein! Oh my god!"

"But why do you want me to know?" Ladybug asked, hands on her hips as she looked at Chat. 

The akumas were gone, the city and the people were saved, and even his Lady's wounds had —thankfully— disappeared with her miraculous cure. Now, there was only the two of them and the Parisian rooftops. 

"Because... now I know, and it is only fair!"

"It has nothing to do if you know or I don't," Ladybug rolled her eyes. 

"Are you afraid you'll like me beneath the mask?" Chat grinned, playfully wiggling his eyebrows at her and, okay, maybe he was playing his advantage here a little. He couldn't help it. Ladybug was Marinette, and he knew her, and she knew him better than anyone in the world, and she had  _cared_ about Adrien so much even without knowing. He was  _giddy._

"Oh, please," Ladybug rolled her eyes. 

He winced slightly, part of the butterflies in his stomach dying. 

"Or- Don't you want to know me?" He asked more softly, ignoring the way his ring beeped a last warning. "I mean- could it be  _that_ bad? Like, you think I could ruin it?"

Ladybug stopped glaring, tilted her head as those bright blue eyes analyzed his face with such rigor it made him dizzy.

"Chat, you are my best friend. Of course it wouldn't be bad. I already _know_ you, remember? Whoever is under that mask, won't change anything between us."

He let out a relieved sigh, but he knew Ladybug hadn't entirely given in yet. He was running out of time.

"I just don't get  _why_ ," she groaned. 

"Because," he smiled, "we can  _help_ each other! You want to protect your family, no? And I want to protect mine! And our friends!"

" _Our-_?"

"And you, Marinette," he went on. He couldn't stop now. Not if he wanted to deliver his line perfectly. "I want to protect you, you are the most important person to me in this world. And," he smirked, "judging by today, I think you want to protect  _me_ too, bugaboo."

Perfectly on cue — _thanks Plagg—_ his transformation faded away. He saw his own flash of green reflected on Ladybug's eyes, and waited with his heart on his throat for her reaction. It wasn't what she expected. 

"Oh my god!" Ladybug gapped. "Oh my god! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod-" her voice turned into a mortified whine as she covered her face with her hands. "Oh my god, you- you are- you're  _Adrein!_ Oh my god!"

"Is- Is that a good thing?" He managed to ask quietly. "Is it a  _bad_ thing? Dear lord, Marinette, give me something to go with. I'm dying here."

"You're Chat! You're Adrien! You've been  _both_ all this time?!"

"Ye-  _Yes_?" He winced. 

"And you were... Chat was flirting... and you were... oh god... of course, you didn't know... you didn't know it was  _me..._ and I didn't...."

The more she rambled, the worst Adrien felt. He just watched, shoulders dropped and eyes worried. Even Plagg had the mind not to complain or ask for cheese, which was a bad enough omen. 

"Are you disappointed, My Lady?" He asked quietly. He wished he could see Marinette's face behind her hands. "Are you... are you disappointed that I'm Chat? Or- Or that Chat is Adrien?"

_Did it even make a difference?_

"Dis... appointed?" She blinked up at him. "Are you  _kidding?_ You are Adrien Agreste!"

"I- I am."

"And you are my... you've been fighting by my side all this time! And I-" She covered her mouth, looked at him wide eyed. "I  _kissed you_."

"Well," Adrien laughed nervously, "to be fair I kissed  _you_ to de-akumatize you yesterday."

"You- you  _what?"_

That seemed to be the thing that made her lost her focus. Her custom flashed away, leaving Marinette in front of him, with her cute clothes and face blushed as red as her mask. When she didn't talk again, he quickly amended. 

"Tikki told me to!"

" _Tikki_?!" Marinette stared down at her kwami, comfortably resting in her palms. Adrien marveled on how delicate her touch was. 

"It worked!" Tikki smiled gently. "It worked, because you both love each other! You just didn't know it yet!"

"Oh my god!"

"Hey, you might not remember, but I'm a great kisser!" The joke came out of Adrien's mouth without much forethought. He immediately regretted it. 

"Knock it off, Adrien!" Marinette jumped, glaring at him.

It was wonderful. He couldn't quite tell what it was, something about the way she had talked to him, all strong like Ladybug but using his name. His real name. It felt like their usual banter, and yet like so much more. She  _knows_ me. The smile that appeared on Adrien's face couldn't be hidden or chased away. He decided to try more teasing. 

"Hey, at least now you can talk to me on full sentences."

"Oh god, Adrien," she groaned, but as she tilted her head down to hide her blush he recognized the hint of a smile. 

"I'm so glad it's you," he sighed, still talking without thinking, which would probably bite him in the ass sooner than later. 

"Yeah, I guess I could've been Chloe," Marinette mumbled. 

"No, I mean-  _You._ I'm so glad it's  _you,_ Marinette. It could have been anyone in the world, and it turns out it's you. And you are my friend, and you are beautiful and wonderful and I- I always thought I had bad luck, but man did I get lucky with you."

The way she blushed this time was different. It wasn't mortified anymore, but it wasn't happy either. It was as if she couldn't bring herself to belief what he was saying, as if she couldn't see how brilliantly amazing she was. Adrien's heart broke. He never thought Ladybug, his Ladybug, of all people would be blind to her own perfection. Quietly, he pulled her into a tight hug. He expected her to resist, but instead he felt her melt into his arms, face pressed against his chest. Had she always been this short? It didn't matter, he could feel her warmth and her slow breathing against his body, and he thought he had never been happier than in that moment. Only a hint of doubt managed to ruin an otherwise perfect instant. 

"Is it really that bad," he asked quietly, "that I'm...  _me_?"

Marinette moved inside his hold, not pulling back. Just tilting her head enough that she could look into his eyes. 

"No. You're just... I guess I didn't know you as good as I thought, and yet I knew a whole other side of you. And now you are here," she said, and there was a hint of amazement in her tone. She looked at him intensely, with those big bright blue eyes, as if he was the most wonderful thing in the entire planet. Had she always looked at him like that? He didn't know, but he know if she kept it up his heart might not be able to take it. Quietly, she smiled and said, "nice to meet you, Adrien Agreste."

If there had been any defenses left for him to keep up, they all came crumbling down in that very second. 

"Nice to meet you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he whispered, so soft it was meant only for her ears, as he pressed his forehead against hers. 

He would have been content, staying like that for all eternity, with his lady in his arms and her breathing so close he could feel it against his neck, with the knowledge that she loved him, at least in some way, fully no matter who he was. That would have all been the purest kind of happiness for all eternity. 

Then she kissed him. 

He felt her lips on his and he forgot how to breathe. He kissed back after merely a second, pressing her body tighter against his. It wasn't the first time he kissed her, but it certainly felt new. It was the first time they kissed each other fully, both sides of their hearts and lives out in the open, fully exposed and fully offered to each other. For an instant, sparks flied around them, as they perfectly united creation and destruction, as they held together infinite power beyond anyone's imagination... but they were too busy being perfectly happy and kissing their loved one. They couldn't have cared less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Fin.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this story!!
> 
> I'll let it to your imagination how they dealt with the secret identity thing and the knowing each other thing, but.. let's be real, this are Ladybug and Chat Noir. When they are together, they are unstoppable ;)
> 
> Thank you to everyone for your kudos and comments, they meant the world to me! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as @princessamericachavez, and you are always invited to rant and talk to me about this two lovebirds that own my heart! 
> 
> Love you all, stay awesome!


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